Current Topics of Concern

The heat of summer is upon us and while we can go inside for a blast of expensive air conditioning and a cool drink, our horses re not afforded that luxury.  so what can we do to minimize the potential downfalls of our triple digit days for equine friends?

First off, it goes without saying that fresh water should be available at all times.  this does not mean that your horse will drink that water in the amounts that are required by his body....or even those figures that are listed in a textbook as to how much he should drink.  after all, our horses don't read the textbooks...for that matter, we humans CAN read them, and we still don't drink as much water as we should everyday.  Our horses are probably around 5% dehydrated on a good day, and the hot weather can increase that deficit even more.  does that mean that your horse will die from dehydration or kidney failure?  No...Does it mean that he will colic?  No.  But why risk it?  Keep the water flowing...and keep the guts moving.

If your horses are housed in stalls fans go a long way to keeping them cool.  Individual fans.  A large fan at the end of the barn aisle is beneficial, as are overehead fans in the barn.  Adding a mister system is a wonderful idea, although it can leave wet spots in the aisle or in the stall.  A simple system that we set up utilized a long low pressure drip line, which we attached above the ceiling fans, and then inserted the mister nozzles at strategic locations above the fans so it spreads the mist.

For our outside pasture pals, shade is essential.  I don't care if it is a tree or a structure, get them some place to shield themselves from the direct sun.  And yes, some people will run extension cords with a fan out to the pastures.  Make sure it is a well maintained cord and fan.  We don't want to start a fire from sparks or a poorly grounded outlet.

Feeding electrolytes, and a vitamin mineral supplement can help your horses, metabolism manage the stress caused by the heat and humidity.

Heat Stroke in the horse usually occurs in poorly conditioned horses that are overworked in hot and humid climates, but it can strike horses in poorly ventilated areas during hot or humid days.  Which is a problem when  we are transporting our horses.  Many people ask,"what are the signs of heat stroke in the horse?"  Well, as I always say, sometimes the answers, are rooted in common sense.  Clinical signs of heat stroke are (but not limited to):  Poor sweating response (hot dry skin signals the early onset of heat stroke), an increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, elevated rectal temperature (104.5 or above), prolonged capillary refill time (you know, where you push on the gums and count how long it takes to turn pink again), depression. (may progress to coma and death), weakness (may progress to collapse or ataxia), decreased appetite, refusal to work, and a slowing of the intestinal movenment.

What should you do if your horse is getting overheated?  Don't panic, but call your veterinarian.  Decrease the body temperature, the more rapid the cooling, the better the prognosis.  So move your horse to a shaded, well ventilated area (use the fans if you have them.) Start pouring cold water on him.  Now don't panic here.  There are some people that worry about their horse cramping or tying up when they do this.  Have you ever watched a three-day-event?  When they hit the 10 minute box, after a quick veterinary check, they are dousing these horses (if they're hot) with cold water.  Many times ice water, and they are walking them in front of giant fans with misters attached.  You can also use alcohol bath over the neck (jugular vein is a good idea), the thorax, and abdomen.  Do not use wet towels because the towel cover prevents convection.  As far as injectable medication, flunizin meglumine (Banamine) is useful for its antiendotoxic effect.  Many exhaused horses may have endotoxemic.  Of course after assessing the situation, your veterinarian will have other treatments that he or she can offer.

So the thing to remember is stay calm, limit activity if possible, be proactive to keep your horses as cool as possible during the hot and humid days, and keep an eye on your horses during these stressful days.